Safety-device for bolt-action firearms



June 9, 1936. F. F. BURTON 2,043,281

SAFETY DEVICE FOR BOLT ACTION FIREARMS Filed Jan. 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 9, 1936. I BURTON 2,43,2811

SAFETY DEVICE FOR BOLT ACTION FIREARMS Filed Jan. 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 #0 1- A5 5 J"; a

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Patented June 9, 1936 SAFETY-DEVICE FOR BOLT-ACTION FIREARMS Frank F. Burton, Mount Carmel, Conn., assignor to Winchester Repeating Arms Company, New Haven, Conn, a corporation of Maryland Application January 24, 1934, Serial No. 708,068

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in safety-devices for firearms and more particularly to safety-devices for bolt-action firearms.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior safety-device characterized by simplicity of construction and ease and certainty of operation.

Another object is to provide a superior and effective safety-device which may be produced at a low cost for manufacture.

A further object is to provide a safety-device by means of which the condition of the arm (whether safe or in condition for firing) may be readily and quickly ascertained by means of both sight and touch. V a o Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: 1 Fig. 1 is a broken top or plan view of a bolt action firearm embodying the present invention, the safety-device being shown in position to permit the firing of the arm;

Fig. 2 is a view thereof mainly in vertical central-longitudinal section; 1

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. l but showing the safety-device swung into position to prevent the firing of the arm; 1

Fig. 4 is a view thereof mainly in vertical central-longitudinal section, corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing the safety-device in position'to prevent the firing of the arm; r

Fig. 5 is a broken view in transverse section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 1! of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the safety-member detached; and

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of the firing-pin detached.

The particular firearm herein chosen for the illustration of the present invention is of the upturn-and-pullback bolt-action type and includes a stock In supporting a barrel H having a cartridge-chamber l2 formed therein and having its rear end appropriately counterbored and cut to provide, in efiect, an integral receiver l3.

' The integral receiver [3 just above referred to has an axially-arranged rearWarclly-opening passage M for the reception of a breech-bolt l5 of cylindrical exterior form in general and having a laterally-offsetting bolt-handle [6, the lu like base I! of which is adapted to reciprocate in a longitudinally-arranged bolt-guide passage l8 formed in the receiver I3. The rear face of the base ll of the bolt-handle I6 is adapted also to engage with a forwardly-facing bolt-locking 5 abutment l9 forming a right-angle continuation of the right side wall of the passage H3 in the receiver I3. At its forward end thebolt-guide passage 18 intersects a relatively-Wide loadingand-ejection opening 20 formed in the receiver [3 and providing for both the insertion and removal of cartridges from the arm.

The breech-bolt I 5 above referred to is provided with ,an atrial-passage 2| coaxially-ar ranged with respect to the cartridge-chamber l2 and providing for the reception of a reciprocating firing-pin 22 having the usual firing-point 23 at its forward end and a firing-pin head 24 at its opposite end, rearwardly of the respective rear ends of the receiver l3 and breech-bolt I5. 0

The firing-pin 22 is formed with an axial spring-pocket 25 housing a firing-pin spring 26 which bears at its forward end against theforward wall of the said spring-pocket and at its rearend bears against a diametrically-arranged pin 21 mounted in the breech-bolt l5 and herein designated as a limiting-pin for reasons as will hereinafter appear. The said firing-pin spring 26 exerts a constant efforttomove the firing-pin 22 forwardly for engaging its firing-point 23 with the rear face of a cartridge 28 located in the cartridge-chamber l2 of the barrel ll.

The firing-pin 22 is also formed with a forwardly-facing cocking-abutment 29 .engageable by a sear-nose 30 upstanding from a sear 3| which is urged in the direction required to engage its sear-nose 30 with the cocking-abutment 29 by means of a sheet-metal spring 32. I

The sear 3| above referred to is also provided with an extracting-nose 33 of no essential concern with the present invention, and is rocked for disengaging the sear-nose 3llfrom the cocking-abutment 29 by the horizontal arm 34 of a pivotally-mounted trigger 35. The said trigger 35 is operatively connected to the said sear for moving the same as described, by having the forward end of its arm 34 entered into a rearwardlyopening notch 36 formed in the said sear.

The rear end of the breech-bolt I5 is counterbored axially in line with its passage 2| to provide a rearwardly-opening axial pocket 31 for the reception of the forward end of the sleeveportion 38 of a safety-member generally designated by the numeral 39 and including also a radially-oifsetting finger-piece 40. The sleeve- "the firing-pin 22 with capacity for oscillatory fore referred to.

movement thereon, and is, retained in place against longitudinal displacement with respect to thebreech-bolt l5 by thelimiting-pin 21 bedition to passing through the firing-pin 22, also passes through a pair of arcuate limiting-slots 4 l' formed at diametrically opposite points in the sleeve-portion 38 of the safety-member 3'9, 1ad-. jacent theforward end thereof, which extends within the pocket'3'l of the breech bolt [5. The

limiting-slots 4| just referred to serve not only to prevent the axial displacement of the safety- 7 member as described, but also serve as limitingslots to limit the oscillatory movement of the member.

Extending forwardly. from the rear edge of.

the sleeve-portion '38 of the. safety-member 39,

I in a direction paralleling the axis thereof, is a I into'theopen rear'end of the spring-pocket 25.

deep clearance-notch adapted; on occasion to receivethe projecting end of a pin 43 constituting what may be termed a safety-abutment and projecting radially from the, firing-pin -22, adjacent the rear end thereof, and in addition serv ing torigidly connect the firing-pin head 24 before referred to with the said firing-pin. For V vious from the drawings: that the pulling of the trigger will have no. effect upon the firing-pin thev purpose last referred to, the said head 24is provided with a cylindrical. shank .44 projecting of the firing-pin and having 'thesaid' pin 43 extending diametrically through it, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6.

One of the walls of the deep clearance-notch 42 formed in thesleeve-portion 38 as above described is connectedto the rear edge of the said portionby a sloping retracting cam'isurface 45,

which is adapted when the safety member 39 is turned'in one direction, as will hereinafter ap pear, to engage the pin 43 to effect a slight retraction of the firing-pin 22 against the counterurge of the spring 25, after the said firing-pin has been moved into its cocked position. Formed in the rearedge of the sleeve-portion 38 of the member 39 and slightly laterally beyond the 'retracting-cam .surface 45 in a" direction toward the finger-piece 40, is a shallow detent-notch 46 adapted to receive the projecting end of the pin 43 when the safety-member39 is swung fully into its safety position and serving to yieldingly retainithe said member in the position referred to. 7

It may here be noted that the limiting-pin 21 before referred to, in addition to serving as an abutment for the firing-pin spring 26, and. as a limiting-pin for the safety-member 39, also serves to prevent the firing-pin 22 from turning movement with respect to thebreech-boIt- I5.

.The desired axial movement of the firing-pin 22 with respect to the breech-bolt I5 is permitted by a pair of longitudinally arranged clearanceslots 4I4'I formed in thewall of the firing-pin 22 respectively at diametrically-opposite points therein. V

After a' cartridge has been inserted into the cartridge-chamber l2 of the arm and the breechbolt has been closed and the firing-pin cocked,

as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and. 2, the arm' may be. fired by operating the trigger 35 in the usual way.. At this time, of course, the safetymember 39 is turned to the limit of its movement to the left to therebybring its deep clearance-notch 42 in line with the projecting end of the pin 43. After the trigger has been pulled The saidlimiting-pin; in ad-.

.and the firing-pin moves forwardly under the urge of the firing-pin Spring. 26, the said pin 43 will ride forwardly'in the said clearanoeanotch In the event thatit isdesired to guard against the accidental discharge of the arm after the same has been reloaded and. the firing-pin 22 again cocked, the finger-piece 40 is shifted from left to right to similarly turn the safety-mem ber 39 upon the firing-pin 22. The initial movement 'of the safety-member 39 as just referred to, will serve to engage the retracting-cam sur face 45 with the pin 43, with the effect, upon continued movement. of the safety-member, of

slightly retracting the firing-pin 22 against the.

counterurge of the firing-pin spring 26. As the I 3a of the safety-member '39 will be brought into alignment with the projecting portion of the said pin 43, whichwillthereupon, under the urge 0f the" spring '26, i ride slightly I forwardly and into the said detent-notch 46 and serve to yieldingly -Inpthe position just referred to, it will be ob 22 for the reason that the engagement of the pin withthe detent-notch 46 in the rear wall of the safety-member 39 serves to positively pre-,

vent further-forwardtravel of the firing-pin,

cocked position; thereby permitting the searnose 3!! of the sear 3| to retire from and reenter hold the "safety-member, 39. against being returned to its firingepin releasing position. I I

into the path of movement of thecocking-abut- I ment-29 of the f ring-pin 22.

If preferred, the safety-member 39 may have inscribed upon the periphery of its sleeve-portion 38 suitable indicia, such,, for example, as

the words Safeiand VFiref, asv shown in the drawings, which are respectively located on apposite sides of the finger-piece 40, though it may be here pointed out that without such indicia, the userof thearm is readily informed of the fact as to whether or not the arm has been rendered safe, either by sight or touch, by noting the relative position of the finger-piece 40.

Theinvention'may be carried out in other speciflc ways than that herein set forth without departing'fr'om the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

7 v I claim:

.firing-pin head together; and a movable safetymember bearing upon the rear portion of the said firing-pin, and having means engageable with the said transverse pin to guard against the firingmovement of the said firing-pin.

2. In an upturn-and-pullback bolt-action fire arm, the combination with the oscillating and reciprocating breech-bolt thereof; of a recipro- 76 cating firing-pin unit extending within the said breech-bolt; a spring located within the said firing-pin unit; a safety-member bearing upon the said firing-pin unit and having a locatingslot therein; an abutment-pin extending cross- Wise through the said firing-pin unit and engaged by the aforesaid spring and projecting also into the locating-slot in the said safety-member for limiting the movement thereof with respect to the said firing-pin unit; and complementary abut-ments, one of which is carried by the said firing-pin unit and the other of which is carried by the said safety-member and interengageable by a movement of the latter for holding the said firing-pin unit in its retired position.

3. In an upturn-and-pullback bolt-action firearm, the combination with the oscillating and reciprocating breech-bolt thereof; of a. reciprocating firing-pin unit extending within the said breech-bolt and provided with a safety-abutment; a laterally-oscillating safety-member mounted for swinging movement substantially coaxially with respect to the saidfiring-pin unit and having a clearance-slot opening through its rear edge for receiving the safety-abutment of the said firing-pin unit and also having in its rear edge a detent-notch for engagement with the safety-abutment of the said firing-pin unit for releasably holding the latter'in its retired position.

4. In an upturn-and-pullback bolt-action firearm, the combination with the oscillating and reciprocating breech-bolt thereof; of a reciprocating firing-pin unit extending within the said breech-bolt and provided with a safety-abutment; a laterally-oscillating safety-member mounted for swinging movement substantially coaxially with respect to the said firing-pin unit and having a clearance-slot opening through its rear edge for receiving the safety-abutment of the said firing-pin unit and also having in its rear edge a detent-notch for engagement with the safety-abutment of the said firing-pin unit for releasably holding the latter in its retired position, the said safety-member also being formed in its rear edge at a point laterally intermediate the said clearance-slot and the said detent-notch with a retracting cam-surface engageable with the safety-abutment of the firingpin unit for retracting the latter.

5. In an upturn-and-pullback bolt-action firearm, the combination with a reciprocating and oscillating breech-bolt; of a reciprocating firingpin unit oscillating with and projecting beyond the rear end of the said breech-bolt and provided with a safety-abutment located to the rear of the rear end of the said breech-bolt, the said firing-pin unit having a manual operating-head at its rear end; and an oscillating safety-sleeve having a portion embracing the said firing-pin unit at a point to the rear of the rear end of the said breech-bolt and interposed between the latter and the said safety-abutment of the said firingpin unit with which it engages, the said safetysleeve being manually oscillatable independently of the said breech-bolt and firing-pin unit and normally oscillating therewith when the breechbolt is oscillated.

6. In an upturn-and-pullback bolt-action firearm, the combination with a reciprocating and oscillating breech-bolt; of a reciprocating firingpin unit oscillating with and projecting beyond the rear end of the said breech-bolt and provided with a safety-abutment located to the rear of the rear end of the said breech-bolt, the said firing-pin unit having a manual operating-head at its rear end; an oscillating safety-sleeve having a portion embracing the said firing-pin unit at a point to the rear of the rear end of the said breech-bolt and interposed between the latter and the said safety-abutment of the said firingpin unit with which it engages, the said safetysleeve being manually oscillatable independently of the said breech-bolt and firing-pin unit and normally oscillating therewith when the breechbolt is oscillated, the said oscillating safetysleeve having a substantially-circumferentiallyarranged limiting-slot and the said breech-bolt having a limiting-pin projecting into the limiting-slot of the said safety-sleeve.

'7. In an upturn-and-pullback bolt-action firearm, the combination with a reciprocating and oscillating breech-bolt; of a reciprocating firingpin unit oscillating with and projecting beyond the rear end of the said breech-bolt and provided with an oifsetting safety-abutment located to the rear of the rear end of the said breech-bolt, the said firing-pin unit having a manual operating-head at its rear end; an oscillating safety-sleeve having a portion embracing the said firing-pin unit at a point to the rear of the rear end of the said breech-bolt and interposed between the latter and the said safetyabutment of the said firing-pin unit with which it engages, the said safety-sleeve being manually oscillatable independently of the said breechbolt and firing-pin unit and normally oscillating therewith when the breech-bolt is oscillated, the said safety-sleeve being provided with a longitudinally-extending clearance-opening intersecting its rear edge and adapted to receive the offsetting safety-abutment of the said firing-pin unit and also having a safety-abutment located on its rear face and engageable with the said safety-abutment of the said firing-pin unit to guard against the firing movement of the latter.

8. In an upturn-and-pullback bolt-action firearm, the combination with a reciprocating and oscillating breech-bolt; of a reciprocating firingpin unit oscillating with and projecting beyond the rear end of the said breech-bolt and provided with a safety-abutment located to the rear of the rear end of the said breech-bolt, the said firingpin unit having a manual operating-head at its rear end; an oscillating safety-sleeve having a portion embracing the said firing-pin unit at a point to the rear of the rear end of the said breech-bolt and interposed between the latter and the said safety-abutment of the said firingpin unit with which it engages, the said safetysleeve being manually oscillatable independently of the said breech-bolt and firing-pin unit and normally oscillating therewith when the breechbolt is oscillated, the said oscillating safetysleeve having a longitudinal clearance-slot and a retracting cam-surface leading laterally therefrom and coacting with the safety-abutment of the said firing-pin unit.

FRANK F. BURTON. 

